Alrighty then. Here's the story of my 139th day of my year writing.
That's right, today has been the 139th since I quit my job and started writing as full time as I could. It's going well, ain't it? Did you know that if you Google me, six of the ten results on the first page are actually me? Now that's fame.
Just kidding.
Anyway, today went pretty well. I got up with the kids and fed them in order to allow Annemarie some extra sleep. She's been putting in late hours at night this week with her Japanese translation.
When she got up, I headed to the Rec Center to exercise. Then I got home and showered, ate, and got to work.
I spent some time on www.helium.com, where I wrote these two articles:
http://www.helium.com/tm/802688/thinks-therefore-thats-there
http://www.helium.com/tm/802868/maybe-destiny-maybe-ovaltine
I also rated and browsed some other articles.
Then I got to work on Mars Betrayal. I am now about halfway finished with chapter 6. Things are heating up and I am having fun. I am feeling pretty good about it and I hope that the language is okay. I find myself checking more rare words quite frequently on the word lists I was given.
Something I am not sure I understand: my contract said the first installment would come on contract signing. I signed the contract almost four weeks ago.. and yet no installment has come. I think I will dash an e-mail off to the contracts guy at the publisher.
Anyway, I really feel as if I am pushing through the silly malaise that would come over me when the time to write would approach. Sure, having a looming deadline is useful for this, but I feel like I should be able to ride this momentum into some real productivity on The Cabin.
So here's the current plan:
1. I will finish, revise and submit the first draft of The Mars Betrayal by the 31st. I have exactly two weeks. After I finish the initial draft, I will outline my next proposal for the graded readers project. Then I will do the revision and send off The Mars Betrayal. Then I will send off my next proposal.
My goal is to sell at least two more of these graded readers this year.
2. While I wait for word from the team about The Mars Betrayal, I will get into The Cabin, big time. I may also have work to do for Charted Course during this period.
3. I will also try and get my new website: www.foodnflicks.com going. I own the domain and server space, but I have nothing there yet, because I don't know how to build websites and I haven't had time. This will be a collaborative effort between me and a good friend.
My writing goals for the year are:
1. Sell at least two more graded readers and finish writing them this year.
2. Finish The Cabin, with all of its revisions, by the end of February. (Big ambition here).
3. Sell The Cabin this year.
4. Get back to work on Brothers in Arms and have it ready by the end of April. This means fully ready for a general audience and well edited. Depending on the acceptances of Graded Readers proposals, this deadline may have to get pushed back a month here or there.
5. Break 1000 articles on Helium by the end of the year.
6. Increase my residual web earnings to at least a steady minimum of $100/month. I have done this for about six of the last ten months. I would really like to hit $200/ month.
7. Sell at least one picture book (hopefully It's Not Apple Sauce)
And that's all I have for now. I may change them. We will see. I'll be back tomorrow.
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